Fastener



Oct. 14, 1969 LE ROY HART 3,472,542

FASTENER Filed sept. 2s, 196e Egg. s. zal?. 4,

` lia@ 33 28 INVENToR.

Lffoy HWP?.

BY KM United States Patent O 3,472,542 FASTENER Le Roy Hart, 50 WoodlandSt., Plainville, Conn.

Filed Sept. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 582,704 Int. Cl. F16b 5/02, 2/02 U.S. Cl.287-189.36

2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Summa-ry of the invention Afastening device which can be applied to the members to be fastened fromthe front and operated by a simple tool, such as a screw driver, orwrench, to fasten or unfasten said members.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved fastener which issimple in its construction, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will be readilyunderstood from the following description and the accompanying drawingin which:

FIG. 1 is a rear view of the fastener embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an elevational side view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a sectional side view of said fastener.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the nut member of said fastener.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view thereof.

FIG. 6 is a fragmental front view of a plate member illustrating theshape of the hole therein for receiving the said fastener.

FIG. 7 is a sectional fragmental side view showing two of said platemembers which can be fastened together with my improved fastener.

FIG. 8 is a rear view showing said fastener inserted through the holesin the plate member.

FIG. 9 is a side view showing the plate members in section on line 9--9of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a rear view similar to FIG. 8 but showing the fastener infastening `and tightened position.

FIG. 11 is a sectional side View on line 11-'11 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a sectional plan view on line 1212 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 13 is a similar view on line 13-13 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 13 but showing a modified form of saidfastener.

FIG. 15 is a rear View showing a further modified form of said fastener.

FIG. 16 is a sectional side view thereof.

FIG. 17 is a side view of a modified form of a nut for said fastener.

FIG. 18 is a front view of said nut.

As illustrated in said drawing, my improved fastener comprises mainly abushing S, a screw 6 extending through and rotatable in `said bushing,and an oblong nut 7 threaded to said screw.

I'The Isaid fastener is particularly adapted for fastening together twomembers, such as the plates 8 and 9 but may also be used `for fasteningmore than two of such members by simply providing the screw 6 in theappropriate length.

FCice Each of said members is provided with a bow shaped hole 10 havinga partly circular centering portion 11 and radi-al wing portions 12- 12extending from opposite sides of said centering portion.

The nut 7 is shaped to fit through said hole and has an axial tubularportion 13, which is internally threaded to receive the thread of thescrew 6, wing portions 14-14, to engage the rear surface of the innerplate 8, and stop lugs 15-15 projecting forwardly from said wingportions into the radial wing portions 12-12 of the holes 10 in theplates 8 and 9 to stop rotation of said nut when the screw 6 is beingrotated. The said portion 13 projects inwardly from the nut 7 and actsas a pilot to guide the fastener in said holes as it enters thecentering portions 11 thereof. If desired, the said port-ion 13 may beformed with a slit 16 and made to lit snugly on the thread of the screwto provide friction for causing said nut to rotate with the screw intothe fastening position shown clearly in FIG. 10.

The screw 6 is rotatable in the bushing S and said bushing has a tubularcentering and aligning portion 17, which fits into the portions 11 ofthe holes 10 in the plates 8 and 9 to center the fastener therein andalso aligns said plates and accurately retains them in positionrelatively to each other, and a flange 18 which covers the said holes10.

It will be noted that in lits normal position the nut 7 is spaced fromthe flange 18 for a distance greater than the total thickness of theplates 8 and 9 or other members which are to be fastened together.

In 4the use of my improved fastener, the front plate 9 is lirst placedagainst the rear plate 8 so that the holes 10 in both plates are inregister. The faster is then inserted into the said holes by passing thetubular portion 13 of the nut '7 through the centering portions 11 ofsaid lholes and lthereby guiding the tubular yportion 17 of the bushinginto the centering portions `11 of said holes and thus aligning theplates. The screw 6 is then simply rot-ated clockwise and this will`cause the nut 7 to rotate with said screw until the stop lugs 15-15enga-ge the respective sides of the wing portions 12-12 of the holes andfurther rotation of said screw will draw the nut forwardly Aagainst therear surface of the inner plate 8 and thereby ysecurely fasten the twoplates together.

When it is desired to remove the fastener to unfasten said plates, thescrew 6 is simply rotated in `the reverse direction to loosen the nut 7which will then rotate with the `screw until the ystop lugs 15--15engage the opposite `sides of the said wing portions 12-12 of the holesand thus align the nut with `said holes whereby the fastener may beeasily Withdrawn `from said holes from the `outer side of the frontplate 9.

As illustrated in FIG. 14, the bushing 5 may be eliminated and the screw6-a may be made in a single piece with a `centering portion 19 and anenlarged head portion 20 to function for the tubular portion 17 and theange 18 of said bushing.

In the form shown in FIGS. l5 and 16, the bolt 21 has `radial `wings22-22 which are iintegral therewith and function Ifor the wings of thenut 7. Said wing portions have the stop lugs 23-23 which extend into theholes 24 -in the plates 25 `and 26. In this form, the said holes are ofra slightly different shape than the holes 10 and the partly circularcentering portions 27 thereof are of a size to fit the shank 28 of thebolt and `thereby 4centering the fastener in the holes and aligning theplates. The said bolt also has an extension 28ea which functions as aguide for the fas-tener as it is inserted `into the holes .24. A washer29 is provided on salid bolt to cover the holes 24 anda nut 30 islthreaded to said bolt to draw the head tight against the lrear surfaceof the inner pla-te 25.

The nut 7 may be modified to the -form shown in FIGS. 17 Iand 18 whereinthe same `is constructed of spring sheet metal and vcomprises a bodyportion 31 shape-d to t through the holes and havling wing portions32-32 with stop lugs 33-33 projecting `forwardly therefrom and a hole 34`through which the screw 6 extends. Spring prongs 35-35 extend inwardlyand rearwardly from said body portion and have notched end portions toreceive the thread of s-aid screw therebetween.

If desired, lthe threads at 4the ends of the screws 6 and 6-fz may bedeformed, as indicated at 36, to prevent the respective nut from falling01T the `fastener from excessive turning of said screws, particularlywhen the fastener is being removed `from fastening position.

Also, the front end of the bolt 21 may be provided with a slot 37 tofacilitate rotation of said bolt.

I claim:

1. For a plurality of separate members to be fastened together, saidmembers each having `an oblong hole therethrough with a round `centeringportion and wing portions extending `from Isaid centering portion, afastener includ ing a screw, an oblong nut 4threaded to said screw andadapted t-o be passed through saiid oblong holes, said nut having wingportions to engage the rear surface of one of said separate members tofasten said separate members together, s-aid nut being rotatable withsaid screw upon initial rotation thereof and having a stop lugprojecting forwardly therefrom into said hole to engage an edge portionthereof and thereby limit rotation of said nut to cause 'said wingportions to be tightened against said rear surface upon further rotationof said screw, and a round guide portion on said nut fitting said roundcentering portion of salid hole to guide said fastener into said hole.

2. For a plurality of separate members 'to be fastened together, saidmembers each having an oblong hole therethrough with a round `centeringportion and wing portions extending from sai-d centering portion, afastener including a pair of threaded members in threaded engagementwlith veach other, one of said threaded `members having a round shankportion of a size and shape to lit and rotate within said centeringportions and align said separate members, wing portions extending fromsaid shank portion `and fitting said Wing portions `of the holes, and astop projection extending from said one threaded member in the `oppositedirection from said round portion of the shank to project into a wingportion of `at least one of the hole-s; ysaid one threaded member beingrotatable to place the Wing portions thereof in position to engage therear surface of one of said separate members and said projection beingengageable with a side edge of said wing portion of the hole to stoprotation of said one `threaded member and cause tightening of the wingportions thereof lagainst said rear surface lto fasten said separatemembers together upon rotation of said other threaded member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,062,635 5/1913 Clements 85-91,470,608 10/1923 Hine 85-9 1,939,034 12/1933 Bennett 85-9 1,958,497 5/1934 Rivers.

2,172,827 9/1939 Becker 85-5 2,360,274 10/1944 Rapp 151-7 2,377,6946/1945 Judd 85-36 2,390,325 12/1945 Rapp 85-32 2,704,680 3/ 1955 Bedford287-20.5 2,931,471 4/1960 Howard 24-221 X 3,123,389 3/1964 Biesecker24-221 X 3,150,703 9/ 1964 Preziosi 151-7 FOREIGN PATENTS 576,676 5/1958Italy.

EDWARD C. ALLEN, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. XR. -9, 32

